Manufacturing controller for aircraft

Abstract

A method and apparatus for monitoring manufacturing of a product. An assembly task network for assembly tasks for assembling is searched by a computer system. The assembly task network defines dependencies between the assembly tasks. A probability of a group of downstream delays as a function of a state of assembly of components for the product being manufactured is calculated using a state of the assembly tasks, enabling modifying incomplete assembly tasks for the product that reduce the group of downstream delays.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A manufacturing controller comprising:
 a data storage device configured to store an assembly task network including assembly tasks for assembling components in a product, wherein the assembly task network is a data structure that defines dependencies between the assembly tasks; and 
 an assembly task network analyzer configured to search the assembly task network for the assembly tasks and calculate a probability of a group of downstream delays as a function of a state of assembly of the components for the product being manufactured using the assembly tasks, enabling modifying incomplete assembly tasks for the product that reduces the group of downstream delays. 
 
     
     
       2. The manufacturing controller of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a manufacturing assembly monitor configured to receive task data in real time and update the assembly task network with the task data. 
 
     
     
       3. The manufacturing controller of  claim 2 , wherein the task data includes the state of assembly of the components for the product being manufactured. 
     
     
       4. The manufacturing controller of  claim 1 , wherein the assembly task network analyzer is configured to identify a milestone in danger of being delayed based on a state of a cluster of the assembly tasks for the milestone. 
     
     
       5. The manufacturing controller of  claim 4 , wherein the cluster is selected from one of a spatial cluster and a system cluster. 
     
     
       6. The manufacturing controller of  claim 4 , wherein the assembly task network analyzer identifies a group of modifications to the incomplete assembly tasks for the product that reduces the group of downstream delays. 
     
     
       7. The manufacturing controller of  claim 4  further comprising:
 a display system in communication with the assembly task network analyzer; and 
 wherein the assembly task network analyzer displays the product and graphical indicators graphically indicating the state of assembly for each of the assembly tasks on the display system. 
 
     
     
       8. The manufacturing controller of  claim 7 , wherein the assembly task network analyzer displays the product as a point cloud in which each point in the point cloud represents a component assembled by a group of the assembly tasks. 
     
     
       9. The manufacturing controller of  claim 1 , wherein the assembly task network analyzer identifies the probability of the group of downstream delays for a group of milestones for the product. 
     
     
       10. The manufacturing controller of  claim 9 , wherein the product is an aircraft and the group of milestones is selected from at least one of critical design review, an engine test, a first flight, a certification, a delivery to a customer, movement to a manufacturing area, movement out of the manufacturing area, painting an airplane with an airplane livery, or a first fueling of the airplane to check for fuel leaks. 
     
     
       11. The manufacturing controller of  claim 1 , wherein the assembly task network defines at least one of a predecessor dependency in the dependencies, a successor dependency in the dependencies, a planned completion, a planned start, a planned duration, a resource requirement, or a work location. 
     
     
       12. The manufacturing controller of  claim 1 , wherein the components are selected from at least one of a part, an assembly of parts, a subassembly of the parts, a system, or a subsystem. 
     
     
       13. The manufacturing controller of  claim 1 , wherein the product is selected from one of a mobile platform, a stationary platform, a land-based structure, an aquatic-based structure, a space-based structure, an aircraft, a surface ship, a tank, a personnel carrier, a train, a spacecraft, a space station, a satellite, a submarine, an automobile, a power plant, a bridge, a dam, a house, a manufacturing facility, a building, an engine, and a turbine. 
     
     
       14. A manufacturing controller for an aircraft comprising:
 a data storage device configured to store an assembly task network including assembly tasks for assembling components in the aircraft, wherein the assembly task network is a data structure that defines dependencies between assembly tasks; 
 a manufacturing assembly monitor configured to receive task data in real time and update the assembly task network with the task data, wherein the task data includes a state of assembly of the components for a product being manufactured; and 
 an assembly task network analyzer configured to search the assembly task network for the assembly tasks and calculate a probability of a group of downstream delays as a function of the state of assembly of the components for the product being manufactured identified from a state of the assembly tasks; and identify a milestone in danger of being delayed based on the state of a cluster of the assembly tasks for the milestone, enabling modifying incomplete assembly tasks for the product that reduce the group of downstream delays. 
 
     
     
       15. The manufacturing controller for the aircraft of  claim 14 , wherein the cluster is selected from one of a spatial cluster and a system cluster. 
     
     
       16. The manufacturing controller for the aircraft of  claim 14 , wherein the assembly task network analyzer identifies a group of modifications to the incomplete assembly tasks for the product that reduce the group of downstream delays. 
     
     
       17. The manufacturing controller for the aircraft of  claim 14  further comprising:
 a display system in communication with the assembly task network analyzer; and 
 wherein the assembly task network analyzer displays the product and graphical indicators graphically indicating the state of assembly for each of the assembly tasks on the display system. 
 
     
     
       18. The manufacturing controller for the aircraft of  claim 17 , wherein the assembly task network analyzer displays the product as a point cloud in which each point in the point cloud represents an assembly task in the assembly tasks. 
     
     
       19. The manufacturing controller for the aircraft of  claim 14 , wherein the assembly task network analyzer identifies the probability of the group of downstream delays for a group of milestones for the product. 
     
     
       20. The manufacturing controller for the aircraft of  claim 19 , wherein the product is the aircraft and the group of milestones is selected from at least one of an engine run, a first flight, a certification, or a delivery to a customer. 
     
     
       21. The manufacturing controller for the aircraft of  claim 14 , wherein the assembly task network defines at least one of a predecessor dependency in the dependencies, a successor dependency in the dependencies, a planned completion, a planned start, a planned duration, a resource requirement, or a work location. 
     
     
       22. The manufacturing controller for the aircraft of  claim 14 , wherein the components are selected from at least one of a part, an assembly of parts, a subassembly of the parts, a system, or a subsystem. 
     
     
       23. A method for monitoring manufacturing of a product, the method comprising:
 searching, by a computer system, a data storage device configured to store an assembly task network for assembly tasks for assembling, wherein the assembly task network is a data structure that defines dependencies between the assembly tasks; and 
 calculating, by the computer system, a probability of a group of downstream delays as a function of a state of assembly of components for the product being manufactured using a state of the assembly tasks, enabling modifying incomplete assembly tasks for the product that reduce the group of downstream delays. 
 
     
     
       24. The method of  claim 23  further comprising:
 receiving task data in real time and updating the assembly task network with the task data. 
 
     
     
       25. The method of  claim 24 , wherein the task data includes the state of assembly of components for the product being manufactured. 
     
     
       26. The method of  claim 23  further comprising:
 identifying a milestone in danger of being delayed based on the state of a cluster of the assembly tasks for the milestone. 
 
     
     
       27. The method of  claim 26 , wherein a cluster is selected from one of a spatial cluster and a system cluster. 
     
     
       28. The method of  claim 26  further comprising:
 identifying a group of modifications to the incomplete assembly tasks for the product that reduces the group of downstream delays. 
 
     
     
       29. The method of  claim 26  further comprising:
 displaying the product and graphical indicators graphically indicating the state of assembly for each of the assembly tasks on a display system. 
 
     
     
       30. The method of  claim 29 , wherein an assembly task network analyzer displays the product as a point cloud in which each point in the point cloud represents a component assembled by a group of the assembly tasks. 
     
     
       31. The method of  claim 23 , wherein an assembly task network analyzer identifies the probability of the group of downstream delays for a group of milestones for the product. 
     
     
       32. The method of  claim 31 , wherein the product is an aircraft and the group of milestones is selected from at least one of a critical design review, an engine test, a first flight, a certification, a delivery to a customer, movement to a manufacturing area, movement out of the manufacturing area, painting an airplane with an airplane livery, a first fueling of the airplane to check for fuel leaks. 
     
     
       33. The method of  claim 23 , wherein the assembly task network defines at least one of a predecessor dependency in the dependencies, a successor dependency in the dependencies, a planned completion, a planned start, a planned duration, a resource requirement, or a work location. 
     
     
       34. The method of  claim 23 , wherein components are selected from at least one of a part, an assembly of parts, a subassembly of the parts, a system, or a subsystem. 
     
     
       35. The method of  claim 23 , wherein the product is selected from one of a mobile platform, a stationary platform, a land-based structure, an aquatic-based structure, a space-based structure, an aircraft, a surface ship, a tank, a personnel carrier, a train, a spacecraft, a space station, a satellite, a submarine, an automobile, a power plant, a bridge, a dam, a house, a manufacturing facility, and a building. 
     
     
       36. The manufacturing controller of  claim 1 , wherein the assembly tasks are ranked based on individual impact scores and dependencies to other assembly tasks, and wherein each individual impact score represents an overall impact the assembly task has on an on-time completion of the product. 
     
     
       37. The manufacturing controller for the aircraft of  claim 14 , wherein the assembly tasks are ranked based on individual impact scores and dependencies to other assembly tasks, and wherein each individual impact score represents an overall impact the assembly task has on an on-time completion of a product. 
     
     
       38. The method of  claim 23 , wherein the assembly tasks are ranked based on individual impact scores and dependencies to other assembly tasks, and wherein each individual impact score represents an overall impact the assembly task has on an on-time completion of the product.